The Geometry Of A Post

Writing can be a real chore. Or, it can be fun.

I read somewhere that writing is fun once you get good at it and being good at it makes your communication skills, your creativity and your powers of reason that much stronger. Blah, blah. 

Well, "good" is relative and you don't have to be good to have fun, you just have to want it. Need a refresh? You can try something new or take a look at  something old from a new perspective. Now, let's have a little fun.  

The Idea

When I can't put two thoughts together, one thing that keeps me writing are the times I've sat down to write with nothing more than my good intentions, a blank sheet of paper and a wisp of an idea only to watch a post develop right in front of my eyes.

Is it ground breaking, is it breathtaking, does it repeat or rhyme?  Does it linger, does it blast, does it spin on a dime? Does it question, does it challenge, does it inquire or suppose? Does it push people away or does it bring them in close? Don't judge, don't measure and don't you fret. Don't format, don't structure, at least just not yet. Capture, observe and don't try to hide, your creativity is showing, go along for the ride.

I write for times like this when the anti-writing demon is out of sight and I can't write fast enough, or neat enough, to capture the flow of ideas.

The Shape

My wisps of ideas come from things I've read, conversations I've had with others, in response to specifc requests, insights or questions, or right out of the blue on my drive into work. After capturing the idea, I begin to frame it up. Yup, I picture it, sketch it and begin to look for its shape.

Does it start from point A and circle around back to there? Or does it have four equal sides, just like a square? Does it start from point A and move in a straight line? Does it blow past Point B, is the idea still mine? Are my ideas parallel, never to meet? Hmmm, what if they intersect, what could that mean? For a rant or a rave to get off my chest, the exclamation point is up to the test. It may build upon a foundation to prove a point but do I need it less triangular to shake up this joint? 

No, you'll probably never need to diagram a post for your English teacher, but pondering the geometry of a post could be fun. Really.

The Why

Yes, writing can be a chore and it can be exercise in discipline. Writing, like a geometric proof,  (last geek reference, promise!) can systematically lead your reader step-by-step from the premises of a proof to the conclusion . . . or it can take them (and you) away to a place they've never been before or even one they didn't know existed.

Writing can be many different things but there is only one thing that writing really is. Writing is an exercise in trust. Writing requires you to trust that, if you write, the ideas will come. Writing requires trust in yourself as a writer and trust your words.

No matter what shape they are in.

Photo credit iStock Photo

Comments

[Wally Bock]

Nice post, Lisa. I hope it was fun. One tool that's a little like "drawing' a post is mind mapping. It's easy to learn and lets you break free from the tyranny of the outline your third grade teacher taught you without the loosey-goosey feel of "just starting from an idea and seeing where it goes." Not every likes it. I've had coaching clients who didn't. But you should try it enough to know if it's a tool for you.

[Lisa Rosendahl]

Thanks Wally, it was fun to write. I haven't mind mapped in awhile, I'll give it a shot. If you saw my journal you'd probably find it hard to believe I can get a post out of the initial "messiness" but that's where the ideas come together for me.

[Deirdre]

This is why I SO LOVE your blog. Me, I just tell a story. You tell the story, write it well and share the how. Nicely done.